5 Congo Games Facts You Should Know

Completesportsnigeria.com's SAB OSUJI has been virtually in every nook and cranny of the City of Brazzaville, the centre stage of the ongoing 11th All Africa Games, observing things, asking questions and telling the stories. Here are his latest snippets about the Games in Congo …

1. POLICE BOOZE WHILE IN UNIFORM!

Incessant drinking of alcohol doesn't seem to contitute an offence here in Congo. Otherwise, how can one explain a situation where married women walk up to beer parlours and order for beer, sits down and gulps down the content and walks away?
Better still, how come policemen cluster together, or even individually while in uniform and 'sentence' several bottles of alcohol and walk away?.

2. CASSAVA IS MAJOR STAPLE FOOD HERE

Cassava is the major food here in Congo Brazzaville. They cook and eat it like yam. Then of course, chicken is their major meat and sells at every point, roasted. Aside these, rice is a secondary food item, never regarded as anything here in Congo. Interestingly though, when you just see it cooked, most times on request, it is served without stew. Otherwise, baked bread is another major food item the locals here cherish so much.

3. SHARING THE CONDOM EXPERIENCE

Apologies to AIT's sharing the African experience. Here in Congo, condom is one item the people don't hide to acquire. At the venues of the ongoing 11th All Africa Games, the locals scramble for the 'protective rubber', officially being distributed by one of the health partners of the Games. And funny enough, the females go for it even more openly.

4. ORGANISERS LOVE THE "AFRICAN TIME"!

Organisers of the 11th All Africa Games here in Congo appear overwhelmed with work at hand. Aside the table tennis event which adheres strictly to its programmes and time schedule, others change at will. Events slated for, say 11am could be delayed untill 2pm. This has made it difficult for journalists to meet some events.

5. 640 BILLION CFA FACILITIES FOR AAG

Aside the Massamba Stadium in Diata which used to be the Congo Brazzaville National Stadium that was rehabilitated for the 11th All Africa Games, all other facilities in place here are brand new ones, built in excellent quality and class. We understand that the Sports Complex in Kintele was put in place at a cost of 640billion CFA. And no one who visits the complex will ever question that huge bill. A 60,000 capacity stadium, olympic swimming pool, four-star Concorde Hotel, twin-wing three store building for COJA and media, Indoor sports hall, two training pitches, one grass, the other synthetic, two-circle moulded arts gallaries name it. The complex was constructed by a consortium of Chinese construction companies led by PAN CHINA LTD. The Olympic Games Village is another wonder master piece of its own. Or what can one say about the 7-kilometer Talangai-Kintele Bridge road.